Warning! This review on Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru Kan (Oregairu 3) chapter one contains spoilers. If you haven’t watched the episode yet, I recommend you go check it out and then come back to read the review.

Oregairu 3 chapter one
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# 1 The seasons change and the snow melts

Oregairu 3 Chapter One begins where we left off last season, the time to listen to Yukinon’s request has arrived. What Yukino needs from the volunteer club is her company, she has decided to advance in what she wants to do and the only thing she wants is for Yui and Hachiman to be witnesses of their way, until the end. The first step will be to talk to your sister, the rest will follow later. Meanwhile Hachiman continues his routine with his sister who prepares for the last interview for her entrance to the institute. While waiting for her, he meets Kawasaki and his little sister Kei, thus sharing the afternoon with them until the arrival of Komachi. Finally, both return to their home and share an emotional talk about Komachi’s gratitude for always taking care of her.

5 year wait

After years of waiting, multiple delays and thousands of spoilers for the end of his novel, the expected conclusion has finally come to us for this series that over the years has won the appreciation of a crowd. This third season seeks to repeat the success of its predecessor while retaining the same production team. And with the first chapter it has shown that it certainly maintains the quality that made us fall in love with the history of these teenagers.

This season has been waiting, perhaps many made their marathon to await this premiere, others possibly decided to trust their memory. Whatever the case may be, it would not hurt to give us a brief review to situate ourselves in what is presented in this chapter. Leaving somewhat behind what happens in the first season, the second puts us on a more dramatic stage, an everyday drama that yes. Relationships within the volunteer club are strained as Hachiman continues to “sacrifice” himself to fulfill requests. But as we are used to in this story, it is through communication that they seek to settle the conflict. It is their verbal encounters that take them to a point of reflection and search, what they pursue is “the true”. But in order to get there, everyone must step forward and pursue what they want, face their weaknesses and all deal with the feelings that arise between them.

It is a very superficial panorama but in broad strokes is what we have seen so far. But as the title itself announces, it is time to enter the true climax of this story. This will be a season of twelve episodes in which the last three volumes of the light novel will be narrated, thus concluding this story. And the only thing I can say is, after so many years of waiting I am really looking forward to this being a worthy closing for this series.

What Yukinon wants

Now yes, let’s start what the chapter left us. As I said before, the story takes up its narrative from where the previous season left us. Throughout several episodes in the second season we could see how Yukinon was fighting with herself, however she did not finish sharing her feelings. In this beginning we finally got to know Yukino’s “request”. But more than the request itself, what is worth collecting is the context of the request. Yukinon grew up in a wealthy family, as the youngest daughter was never really considered for the succession of family work, however this is something she came to desire. Over time, that perspective was taken from him and instead he was given “freedom”. The problem lies in the fact that this “freedom” is a half-hearted thing, that the only thing he managed to do was confuse Yukino since the only path he had selected was taken from him.

Now that Yukinon has put his wish into words, he has also set his own surrender. The path she has chosen is to follow her wishes knowing that they will not be fulfilled, but she wants to go through that process herself. Within her there is a need to strive and be disappointed, but she needs to do it herself, not through others. Only by doing this can she really move forward, this will be what marks her true starting point. Finally you will be able to leave your uncertainty and get up on your own feet, instead of depending on others. That is why her request was not for help, she no longer wants to depend on others but can not divert her emotions, she still wants to lean on her friends, so her request is for them to accompany her on her journey to her own maturity.

Hachiman will always be Hachiman

Yukino takes the entire first half of the episode, but the second was dedicated to Hachiman. We did not immerse ourselves in deep reflections and we did not see in all its splendor its well-known cynicism towards life. But that does not mean that we did not see the Hachiman that we all know and love. For this second half we accompany the older brother, even during his meeting with Kawasaki. Hachiman’s well-known sister complex was showcased in this chapter, between auctions and beautiful everyday moments, it makes me think of how much I had missed the relationship of these brothers.

The encounter with Kawasaki only highlighted the role of older brother that Hachiman has always played perfectly. Although in a way it also makes us wake up the ship between Hachiman and Saki. The whole scene of both caring for and spoiling Kei in the cafeteria makes us think of a married couple with their first child. And although the anime has eaten some great moments of Saki, at least they gave us that wink to the past where Hachiman without thinking too much dropped a bomb that dislodged the always serious Kawasaki.

Yes, it was a very focused second half on Hachiman’s family role, so it’s too early to think that Hikki’s personality has changed. After all, he has always been a gentle person to his family, and a bit rougher for the rest of the world. Let’s wait to see him again at school and the club to see if his cynicism has really changed or not.

Season of changes

Let’s close this with the emotional moment of the week, Komachi’s thanks. Life is not in a straight line, it is full of ups and downs, just as the seasons change so do the feelings and circumstances of life. Just as Yukino, Yui, and Hachiman are beginning to change, Komachi is also going through his own season of change. In your case it is a time of transition, a new stage of your life is about to begin, which means that you are leaving a part of your life behind. The jump to the institute can mean a lot, it is a sign of growth although at the same time it does not change everything so drastically. It is a delicate time because he says goodbye to his childhood stage but without leaving the nest.

Komachi is very attached to her brother, the prolonged absence of her parents has inevitably made her attached to him. Certainly much of what Komachi has achieved and is, she owes it to her brother, he has been the one who has watched over her. None of this is ignored or ignored by her, she feels real thanks to him. That is why you decide to express it to him, why now? Because it was the best time for it, because it is time to change, she is no longer a child to take care of, in fact now it is she who can take care of him. With this gratitude she does not seek to graduate from being the adored little sister, it is simply her way of expressing that she values ​​the care that her brother has given her and now she wants to stop being pampered and become a support, someone she can count on.

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Final comment

Oregairu 3 Chapter One has been an excellent start to this final journey. It was a nice enough narrative to start this season. The best of all was to see that even after five years the magic that brought us closer to this series is still there. As I said, this beginning had a very nice narrative so they did not delve enormously with the reflections they were used to, but that does not mean that they have forgotten them. The subject of Yukinon’s petition is something that we still need to see as it evolves, and they have slowly left us little winks at the complicated feelings that flutter among the three members of the volunteer club.

Before closing with this let’s talk about the opening and ending. The opening theme is “Megumi no Ame” by Nagi Yanagi, her style does not detach from the previous ones, although perhaps it has a sadder note, ideal for the drama that the visual seems to us to augur. As for the closing theme, we have “Diamond no Jundo” performed by Saori Hayami and Nao Touyama, the seiyuus of Yukinon and Yui respectively. This has a more catchy tone, offers a feeling of hope and surrender in the same measure, it is difficult to explain. I need more time to digest it better.

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Anyway these have been my impressions of this chapter: What did you think of the episode? Was it worth the wait of so many years? What was your impression of this beginning towards the end of this story? How do you expect Yukinon’s petition to develop from now on? Why do you think Hachiman kept the cookies Yui gave him? It sounds to me like more than one is wavering in their feelings and how to deal with them. Is gratitude something that we should only show before a final prospect, or is it something that we should always express?

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Sweety Otaku

One of the best parts of watching anime is how many times a show can surprise you. Sometimes for good, sometimes for bad. But if the Otaku know one thing, it's that anything is possible.

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